GreekChat.com Forums

GreekChat.com Forums (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/index.php)
-   News & Politics (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/forumdisplay.php?f=207)
-   -   Potential AIDS cure discovered (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=101017)

PhiGam 11-10-2008 06:35 PM
Potential AIDS cure discovered
 
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122602394113507555.html

Quote:
The startling case of an AIDS patient who underwent a bone marrow transplant to treat leukemia is stirring new hope that gene-therapy strategies on the far edges of AIDS research might someday cure the disease.

The patient, a 42-year-old American living in Berlin, is still recovering from his leukemia therapy, but he appears to have won his battle with AIDS. Doctors have not been able to detect the virus in his blood for more than 600 days, despite his having ceased all conventional AIDS medication. Normally when a patient stops taking AIDS drugs, the virus stampedes through the body within weeks, or days.

UGAalum94 11-10-2008 07:49 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhiGam (Post 1742994)
That was really interesting. It's a little disappointing that the treatment, when given for leukemia, kills 30% of its patients, but it is a new avenue of hope.

I also wonder why there's no widespread promotion of testing to see if people have the mutation that prevents infection. And it's interesting to wonder why, as uncommon as it is, why it's more common in Northern Europeans. What was the evolutionary issue?

kafromTN 11-10-2008 09:24 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by UGAalum94 (Post 1743032)
That was really interesting. It's a little disappointing that the treatment, when given for leukemia, kills 30% of its patients, but it is a new avenue of hope.

I also wonder why there's no widespread promotion of testing to see if people have the mutation that prevents infection. And it's interesting to wonder why, as uncommon as it is, why it's more common in Northern Europeans. What was the evolutionary issue?

From what I read a while ago, and unable to find anything good on it at this time, it has to do with the manner the black death or one of the plagues that afflicted Europe. Something to do with the manner in which the plagues attacked the human body and that CCR5 molecule is what it attached to [similar to HIV] to attack the cells.

This isn't real clear, sorry, started drinking early today.

RU OX Alum 11-11-2008 03:58 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by UGAalum94 (Post 1743032)
That was really interesting. It's a little disappointing that the treatment, when given for leukemia, kills 30% of its patients, but it is a new avenue of hope.

I also wonder why there's no widespread promotion of testing to see if people have the mutation that prevents infection. And it's interesting to wonder why, as uncommon as it is, why it's more common in Northern Europeans. What was the evolutionary issue?
I believe it was the plauge, at least based on my reading for health class in college. It was the plauge that was the ancestor of the modern day AIDS virus, and since that went through Europe, the decendents of those who survived are probably more likely to not get AIDS or to be better able at not dying from it.

LightBulb 11-11-2008 04:02 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by RU OX Alum (Post 1743405)
It was the plauge that was the ancestor of the modern day AIDS virus, and since that went through Europe, the decendents of those who survived are probably more likely to not get AIDS or to be better able at not dying from it.
Good to know. I had thought that the Plague was a bacterial disease, not a virus.

In response to the OP: awesome! That's really exciting.

RU OX Alum 11-11-2008 04:08 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by LightBulb (Post 1743406)
Good to know. I had thought that the Plague was a bacterial disease, not a virus.

In response to the OP: awesome! That's really exciting.
It was probably both, I know that pneumonia is, or can be. And yeah that's awesome if they really have a cure.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:23 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.